Maa, Sorry I'm Late Again
by BrokenKage
Summary: "He was like a father to us," the blonde whispered shakily, clinging to his beloved Iruka-nii. "That's why this hurts so much." Fatherly!Kakashi, Yaoi, KakaIru


Title: Maa, Sorry I'm Late… Again.

Author: Ashley

Summary: "He was like a father to us," the blonde whispered shakily, clinging to his beloved Iruka-nii. "That's why this hurts so much." Fatherly!Kakashi

Genre: Family/Hurt/Comfort

Disclaimer: I don't own the sandbox, I am just playing in it.

Warning: Unbeta'd, Yaoi, sad in the beginning, super fluff at the end.

Pairing/Characters: Kakashi/Iruka, Naruto, Sakura, Sai

Rating: T

Author's notes: Gift fic for harvestangel99, for being the best reader a girl could ask for! This one is just for you, girl, and I hope you love it.

* * *

Whenever ANBU squad 7 got together, their brilliant friendship and bond brought light and warmth to anyone lucky enough to bask in the bond that the five special Jounin shared. The team that consisted of the legendary Hound, the fearsome Kitsune, the cunning Feline, the radiant Dove, and the mysterious Raven struck fear into the hearts of missing and enemy Shinobi everywhere. To comrades and friends though, they were simply Tsunade's hand-picked team, because everyone knew how rare it was to find a team that worked together as flawlessly as they did.

With the war finally behind them, they rejoiced in the bonds they still had. It wasn't uncommon to see them all together, eating, training, just _enjoying _the relatively peaceful times they were living in. No one ever questioned when the five disappeared, because they were always certain that all five would be back soon enough, and if they all were gone at the same time then the village would certainly be safer when they did return.

To the actual members of Squad 7, they were much more than friends and comrades. They were family, without a doubt. They even lived together, as all four younger member's had lost their homes when Pain destroyed the village. Sure, they all could have applied for new apartments at any point. It was just too convenient and comforting for all involved. Their leader loved having the company and their leader's husband was thrilled to know that they were all safe, loved, and taken care of in his home. They had found siblings in each other, and a father in their leader.

* * *

Four desolate figures passed through the gates of Konoha in the early hours of evening, Feline carrying Kitsune on his back and Raven carefully cradling Dove in his arms. They radiated pain, anger, guilt, and _sheer desperation_ with every step, and no one dared to approach the four ANBU. Which was all for the best, as Feline's hand twitched toward his weapons pouch every time a footstep that didn't belong to his team mate sounded within a fifty foot radius. The village was strangely silent as they neared the Hatake compound and crossed through the gates, even the air was still as they approached the front door.

A sudden fear gripped Raven, and his grip on Dove almost faltered. He wasn't sure he could do this…

"_Just take them and get the _fuck _out of here, damn it!" The world was tinted in red; the red of blood, the red of fire, the red of the Sharingan. "That's an order! Take them and go!" Raven nodded in the affirmative and unceremoniously shoved a screaming and bleeding Kitsune into Feline's waiting arms, and scooped Dove up carefully before darting away from the only man who he'd ever viewed as a father. _

A tear slid down Feline's cheek (hidden by his mask) as the front door to their home slammed open, and Iruka stood there wringing his hands.

"_Damn it Hound, you can't take them all by yourself. I'll stay with you!" he shouted, even as Kitsune screamed and struggled weakly in his arms. _

"_Absolutely not, run. Get your asses back to Konoha!" A grunt, and the sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the clearing. "I'll send them all to hell, but you have to go now!" _

"_You better catch up, sensei!" _

"_I will! Tell Iruka I'm sorry I'm going to be late. Now GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE." _

Kitsune stiffened against Feline's back, having woken up after they passed the gates but still too weak to walk on his own.

"_HOUND!" He watched from his helpless position in Feline's arms as a shuriken embedded itself in his 'father's' arm. Even as he fought, Feline pulled him around and onto his own back. "Damn it, Hound, no!" _

"_Get them the fuck out of here, Feline, Raven." _

"_We have to stay! We can't leave him." _

"_We have no choice," Raven whispered, shifting the unconscious Dove into a better position and jumping into the branches above. _

The four Jounin walked into their home, Iruka helping Kitsune down from Feline's back and guiding both men to lounge. Raven followed numbly, and laid Dove down on one of the floor cushions laying haphazardly around the room. Within the span of several seconds, Kitsune, Feline, Raven, and Dove became Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, and Sakura. The three men threw their masks away from them in disgust, and Iruka set Sakura's on the mantle.

"_DOVE!" Hound's voice was far too panicked, and Kitsune spun around in time to watch as Dove fell to the ground, almost gracefully. _

"_Kuso!" Kitune swore, rushing for his fallen comrade. He missed the Katana aimed for his throat, but Hound didn't. Kitsune barely registered the tug on the holster strapped to his back, all he registered was flying through the air with Dove in his arms. _

"Where's Kakashi?" Iruka whispered brokenly, scared that he already knew the answer based on the desolate looks on his former students faces.

"I'm so sorry, Iruka…" Sai had to clench his eyes shut to fight the strange burning behind them.

"_There's no way he's going to catch up." Raven whispered to Feline as soon as he was sure Kitsune had succumbed to unconsciousness. _

"_I know. He wanted to give us a chance." Feline whispered back, tightening his arms around Kitsune's thighs. "He didn't want us to fall too." _

"_We had better make sure we honor his last orders then." _

"_Hai," and with that the pair pushed themselves to run faster than they had in their entire lives. _

"Naruto and Sakura were hurt, and Sai and I barely had any Chakra left. He had no choice." Sasuke's voice was strangely thick, his hands curled in tight fists and shaking faintly at his sides.

"_Listen. If I give the order to fall back, you have to..." Hound started, but Feline cut him off with a wave of his hand. _

"_I'm not worried Hound." Even though his gut was telling him this was a trap, just like Hound's probably was telling his. "I doubt it will come to that."_

"_The universe has been screaming 'bad fucking idea,' at us since we left Rock, and Kitsune is in no condition to fight. He's been drawing on the damn kyuubi's power for the past three weeks straight, and I think even that stupid fox is starting to suffer from Chakra Depletion." Hound growled, fidgeting anxiously as a bad feeling tingled down his spine again. _

"_Damn it Taicho, I know!" Feline hissed, drawing in a sharp breath as he watched Kitsune pop another soldier pill and heard it crunch between his teeth. "He's going to fucking overdose on soldier pills before we make it to the boarder if we keep pushing it like this and running into ambushes." _

"_I know. What choice do we have right now though?" Hound muttered, as if trying to convince himself more than Feline. _

"Oh kami no…" Iruka whispered, his eyes shooting to Naruto as they filled with tears. Naruto couldn't stop the tears running down his cheeks any longer, and a broken sob left the young man.

"Iruka-nii, I…" Naruto couldn't form words.

"_Kage bunshin no jutsu!" He shouted, causing a clone to pop into existence beside him. He held out a hand and started to gather Chakra. Hound knocked him out of the way of the incoming enemy and he slammed into his clone, making it disappear. _

"_If you use another Rasengan you're going to kill yourself, idiot." Hound shouted in a paternal tone of voice. "Please just get to safety. I'll take care of it," he added in a desperate whisper. _

Iruka pulled Naruto into a tight embrace, clinging to his little brother tightly. "He wouldn't have wanted you to be sorry for him, Naru." Iruka whispered, voice hoarse with tears. "He loved you like a son, all of you. He would have given everything to make sure the four of you stayed alive." Sasuke let out a dry sob beside them.

"I can't believe it." He whispered haltingly, voice breaking on the last word. Sai stared blankly at the wall, his hands shaking even though he tried to stop them.

Sakura sat up quickly and looked around, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. "No!" She whimpered, hands covering her mouth.

"_Taicho!" she shouted, waking up suddenly with her head throbbing and trying to get out Raven's grip. She realized they were running through the trees. "Where the hell is Hound-Taicho?! All I remember is getting in between him and the big guy with the club." She whispered, trying to fight the nausea at the speed they were traveling. _

"_He stayed behind, Dove." Raven whispered shakily. "He stayed behind so Feline and I could get you and Kitsune out of there." _

"_Oh Kami, no." She sobbed, turning her face into Raven's chest plate before her head gave a particularly nasty throb and her world went blissfully black again. _

She'd hoped she'd been dreaming. Obviously she hadn't, because they were back in Konoha and Hound was nowhere in sight. Sakura climbed shakily to her feet and stumbled the short distance to where Sai was standing. She grabbed his chest plate to steady herself, and almost jumped in shock when his arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly.

"This can't be real," she whispered, desperately fighting back tears. Sasuke let out another dry sob, and it echoed brokenly around the room. The tears gathered in the corner of her eyes, and a wet drop on her forehead told her Sai was crying too.

Naruto and Iruka's heartbreakingly quiet sobs sounded horribly loud in the silent room. "He was like a father to us," the blonde whispered shakily, clinging to his beloved Iruka-nii. "That's why this hurts so much." Sakura nodded in silent agreement, her fingers clutching tighter around the straps of Sai's chest plate.

Sasuke nodded as well, his eyes finally filing with tears. "He's the only man I've ever known that I've been proud to call father," he said quietly. Sakura, Sai, and Naruto nodded their agreement. "Sensei," Sasuke started. "He wanted me to tell you he was sorry that he was going to be late." Iruka's chuckle was dry and broken.

"That's so like him," the chuunin whispered.

"_You are a horrible example, Hatake Kakashi!" Iruka shouted, hands planted firmly on his hips the effect making him look very much the part of a pissed off housewife. Of course, the four Jounin around the table sniggered but wouldn't dare say it out loud. Iruka was terrifying when he was pissed off! _

"_Maa, Iruka-Koi, you see what happened was-" Iruka stomped his foot on the ground and crossed his arms. The glare on his face was enough to make Kakashi shut his mouth with an audible snap. The four already seated around the table sniggered again, who said it didn't make the kids happy to see "mom" ream "dads" ass every now and then? _

"_I said 'Be home at exactly seven thirty, so we can have a nice family dinner and celebrate Sakura's twentieth birthday.' Didn't I?" _

"_Yes, love but I-" _

"_And didn't you say, 'But of course, love.'?" Iruka asked between gritted teeth. _

"_Yes, but Koi," Iruka stalked over and slapped a hand over Kakashi's uncovered mouth. _

"_Just shut the hell up, Hatake. I don't want any of your damn excuses tonight." Iruka fumed, so mad his cheeks were a sturdy red, and little tendrils of hair that had escaped his ponytail were clinging to his face. "Sit your ass down at the table, wish Sakura-chan a happy birthday, and then don't open your mouth again, except to put food in it. Got it?!" Kakashi nodded, and silently took the empty seat next to Sakura. _

"_Happy birthday, Sakura-chan." Kakashi muttered, giving her a thoroughly tail between the legs completely whipped smile. "I,"_

"_Shut the fuck up!" Kakashi glanced in shock at his husband, mouth agape. "The next time you are late, I'm kicking your ass all the way to the hokage monument and back." The kids glanced around the room, stealthily looking for an escape route to their rooms before their father managed to say something stupid. _

"_You teach your student's with that mouth, Sensei?" And there it was, Naruto and Sasuke practically fell over each other in their desperate scramble to escape. None of them wanted to be in the dining room with the couple when Iruka exploded. Sai just disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and Sakura crawled away from the table, all four meeting up at their favorite training spot in the compound._

_They could still hear Iruka screaming at Kakashi in the main house. _

Homecomings were supposed to be happy, right? They always felt happiness when they made it home. Because home meant safety, and Iruka, and a warm dinner, and warm beds. Home meant comfort with each other, understanding, and the careful guiding hand of Kakashi.

Home wasn't supposed to mean this pain. Naruto's hands shook violently as he began to strip himself of his ANBU uniform. Iruka had to stop him and help him with the buckles when he couldn't get them himself.

_His hands shook too much to unbuckle the straps at his shoulder, and Naruto collapsed against his bedroom wall. The tears poured down his face, smearing blood and dirt and sweat in their path. His recently completed assassination mission replayed in his head, and he wondered what he could have done differently to garner a better outcome. _

_Then he realized, nothing he could have done would have made a damn bit of difference. His Hokage had ordered him to annihilate and annihilate he had. He reached for the straps on his forearms, but again his hands were shaking too much to unbuckle them. Before he could even sense another presence in the room with him, pale hands covered his own. _

"_Let me, gaki." He looked up into Kakashi's eye and nodded tiredly, even in his post mission haze recognizing the man as his friend. Kakashi deftly unbuckled the straps on his armor and stripped it from his limp and shaking body. Kakashi even wiped the tears from his face before he pulled him into a tight hug. _

"_Otosan," the teen sobbed, clinging to Kakashi desperately. The older man just rubbed his back soothingly. He allowed him to sob away the trauma of his recent mission, knowing just how large a toll solo assassinations could take on a Shinobi. _

"_I know, Naru. I know." _

Never again would he feel those strong arms around him, because surely if his beloved father figure was alive he would have caught up to them and be by their side. Surely if Kakashi was alive, he wouldn't allow Naruto's beloved Iruka-nii to cry like he was.

Soon enough, all four ANBU had shed their armor and sat huddled together with Iruka around the coffee table. Five steaming cups of tea sat untouched as they all mourned their loss and drew comfort from the silence of those around them.

Sakura sniffled, trying to get a hold of her tears and the pain in her chest.

_The young woman shed her alter persona the moment she crossed the threshold. She couldn't bear to be the deadly Dove any longer. She knew Raven had already disappeared into his room, he was much better at dealing with his feelings than she was. _

_Sakura crossed through the house with a single mission in her heart. She would sit beneath the beautiful Sakura tree's in the garden that she was named after, and she would allow the trauma of the day to wash over her. She was shocked to see a tall figure waiting for her underneath the beautiful trees that were in full bloom. _

_They didn't say a word to each other, Kakashi just handed her a cup of tea and put his hand on her shoulder. She didn't need any words, just his presence was enough._

They didn't know how long they sat there in silence, drawing strength from each other. The sky was ink black by the time anyone spoke again. Sai raised his head and barely whispered "Father…" It echoed loudly around the room though, and the other four occupants turned to look at him. He just shook his head, unable to say anything else.

_They sat across from each other, Sai lost in thought. For a long time, neither of them said anything. "I don't understand," he finally said. _

"_What don't you understand, Sai?" _

"_I don't understand how you do this. How you act like our father and care for us, or how you can love Iruka-san the way you do." _

_Kakashi's eye widened briefly, and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Maa, because I care about you guys. I don't want anything to happen to any of you." _

"_But you build up these bonds, and there is no saying when that mission is going to come where one of us doesn't return. Why put yourself through that pain? Isn't it easier to just push the feelings aside and continue on?" Sai fidgeted under Kakashi's gaze. _

"_Yes and no. On one hand, if I didn't have this bond with you guys then if something happened it wouldn't hurt as badly." Kakashi sighed and rubbed the back of his neck again. "But on the other, if I didn't have these bonds, I wouldn't have anything worth fighting for. I wouldn't have anything worth returning home for." _

"_But," Kakashi waved a hand impatiently. _

"_There's no buts, Sai. I care about all of you because it gives me something worth fighting for." Kakashi smiled at him again. "And as long as I have any breath left in my body, I can promise you that I will always protect you four with my life when we are on missions together. And I have faith in the bonds that the four of you share, that you will protect each other no matter what it takes." _

"_Hn." _

He started understanding why Kakashi fought like he did a little more that day. With Kakashi's words in his head, he had also been able to strengthen his own bonds with his adopted siblings.

Sasuke couldn't bring himself to speak, focused instead on the first time he had come to see the Copy Nin as a father.

_He knew where to find the other man this early in the morning, and it was imperative that he find him and talk to him. Swallow his Uchiha pride and apologize for all the pain he had caused before the war. The fact that he had returned and been welcomed back with open arms made no difference to him, not unless he had the forgiveness of his former sensei as well. _

"_Kakashi-sensei," He said respectfully. He bowed his head to the large stone in front of him and then to the stoic man standing beside it. _

"_Sasuke." Kakashi never averted his gaze from the stone, hands buried deep in his pockets. So many new names on the stone many he knew and some he didn't, but the one he had always come to see had been carved away since the man was a traitor. He focused on the name that had taken its place. Uchiha Itachi. _

"_Sensei, I wanted to apologize. For everything," he swallowed thickly and looked at his brother's name that he himself had been allowed to carve into the stone. "I should have listened to you, searched for the truth instead of revenge." _

"_Yes, you should have." Kakashi told him, finally turning to look at the young man. "You caused a great deal of pain. Naruto and Sakura have forgiven you, but they suffered a great deal of pain because of your thirst for revenge." Sasuke could practically taste the bitterness in the man's voice. _

"_I'm sorry." _

"_Sometimes sorry isn't enough Sasuke." Kakashi drew a deep breath. "I blamed myself for a long time for what you did. I thought that, maybe, if I had tried harder to teach you or tried harder to understand you then you wouldn't have left. I was your teacher, and I should have stopped you from leaving. Instead, you left, and I watched you try to _kill _each one of us. I watched Naruto heal from the Chidori, which _I_ taught you, that you put through his chest." _

_Sasuke didn't know what to say, but figured there was no way he was going to get forgiveness from the man in front of him. He found that thought strangely ironic and fitting that the man before him wouldn't accept him back. "But then I started to understand, when I remembered the third. No matter how far Orochimaru fell, Sandaime still loved him and wanted him to return. I know how he felt," Kakashi added. He surprised Sasuke by pulling him into a tight embrace. "I forgave you long before you ever returned, Sasuke. I hope you can forgive me for failing you as a teacher." _

"_Sensei," Sasuke whispered, wrapping his arms around the older man that had done everything he could to discourage him from the path he chose. If he had only listened. "Sensei, I failed you and the rest. Not the other way around." _

"_I think of the three of you and Sai as my children, stupid right?" He didn't give Sasuke a chance to answer. "A parent isn't supposed to do what I did, and sit idly by. I should have tried harder to reach you." _

_Sasuke smiled and stepped back from his former sensei. "No otosan, I should have listened to what you had to say." _

Iruka looked around the room at the desolate faces of the young adults he'd taught and come to love so much. Sakura and Sai were slumped against the couch, wrapped tightly in each other's arms. Naruto and Sasuke sat on the couch near them. Naruto had one hand wrapped tightly in Sakura's and the other was clenched tightly between both of Sasuke's, as if Naruto's hand was the only thing keeping the dark haired man anchored. Iruka understood their pain, he was feeling it too. The bond he had shared with Kakashi was different, but still just as strong.

He could also remember another time, shortly before the final battles of the war, when Pain came and destroyed their village, that he had felt this heartbreak.

_There was nothing worse than being the one to find your lovers body, half buried in a pile of rubble. The sobbing brunette reached around Kakashi's head and unclipped the chain that held his dog tags. With trembling hands, he slipped Kakashi's wedding band from his finger and slid it onto the chain in his hands. Whatever happened to their bodies, at least he would have this part of his husband with him always. He secured the chain around his own neck and forced himself to walk away._

_Iruka stumbled through the ruins of the village, only half aware. If there were any more enemies around, it would have been all too easy for them to pick him off in his current state. He felt completely numb, not even the slightest bit aware of what was going on around him. He tripped and fell, almost slamming his face on the ground. He just sat where he fell, trying desperately to compose himself. _

_He had no idea how long he sat there, but suddenly he was being pulled up by strong arms. "Sensei, it's a miracle! Come with me!" Sakura pulled him, and he blindly followed. A crowd was gathered, cheering, and he watched as his beloved brother was tossed into the air and caught by several ninja. In his pain muddled mind, he wasn't sure what exactly was going on. Still, he plastered a smile across his face and forced his hands to come together. He didn't notice Shizune standing to the side of him, if he had he might have realized a little sooner exactly what the 'miracle' Sakura had been talking about was. _

_Long arms wrapped around him and pulled him back into a solid chest. He felt cool hands slip the chain from his neck and a soft voice in his ear. "Maa, sorry I'm late. I believe this belongs to me." He spun around, clutching his chest, and came face to face with his grinning lover. Releasing a broken sob, he threw his arms around Kakashi's neck in sheer happiness. He didn't care how it happened, but he was glad it had. _

This time he knew there was no miracle coming. He knew he wasn't going to hear the front door creak open, and he wasn't going to hear cursing as Kakashi banged his knee on the foyer table while he was taking his sandals off. He wasn't going to hear the Jounin muttering about tearing the table apart so his Ninken could play catch with it as he stumbled into the lounge room. Wouldn't hear mumbled apologies about trying to have been quiet, or soft 'I love you's' whispered in his ear ever again. And he would definitely never here that deceptively laid back tone utter those absolutely infuriating-

"Maa, sorry I'm late… Again…" Five pairs of startled eyes shot to the entryway of the lounge room. Kakashi stood before them, held up between two masked ANBU. The two ANBU nodded to their comrades, and disappeared in a displacement of air and chakra. Everything seemed frozen in time for a moment, until Kakashi took a shaky step forward into the room.

He broke the spell that had fallen over the strangely silent room. Sakura was the first one to reach him, she threw her arms around him in a vice grip. Tears poured down her face, and she choked back her sobs. "Kaka-sensei!" Kakashi wrapped his bandaged arm around her the best he could, and held her against him.

"What in the world?" He whispered, glancing at Iruka's disbelieving face. The Chuunin was standing across the room, one hand covering his mouth the other clutched in a tight fist against his chest. Naruto and Sasuke crossed the room and Sasuke gently pried Sakura away from their former Sensei and pulled her against his own chest.

Naruto and Kakashi were the same height, but Naruto seemed to tower over the man that had raised him in that moment. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Naruto's eyes blazed red for a moment, and Kakashi searched for his voice to defend his actions. Before he had a chance though, Naruto had punched him in the jaw and pulled him into a deathly tight hug. "Don't ever do it again, Otosan. Never. Again." Kakashi just stood there silently and hugged Naruto's shaking form to him. When Naruto pulled back, he immediately started searching his father for injuries. Finding no new or life threatening ones, he stepped away. Kakashi started to walk toward his still silent husband.

Sai and Sasuke stepped before him, blocking his path to Iruka. He almost growled in frustration, but the two black haired men crossed their arms and gave him matching looks of disdain.

"So nice of you to finally catch up, Taicho." Sasuke growled in frustration. Sai nodded in agreement, and glared at Kakashi.

"You are an idiot, father," Sai muttered, surprising the Copy Nin.

"If you ever order us to leave you like that again, I'll kill you myself." Sasuke told him matter-of-factly.

"I agree with Sasuke, if he can't kill you, I most certainly will." Wondering when he tumbled into some alternate dimension where Sai and Sasuke actually showed emotion more committal than a grunt, Kakashi just nodded absentmindedly. Even stranger, the two dark haired nin were actually agreeing with each other. Miracles did happen, apparently.

Sai and Sasuke each placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed affectionately. "Can I go see my husband now?" They both quirked an eyebrow and nodded, stepping away. Kakashi found his arms suddenly full of a sobbing brunette and he quickly wiped the tears from his face.

"Iruka…" Kakashi embraced his chuunin with all the strength he could muster, and kissed the messy hair. "It's okay love. Why are you all so upset?" Sai, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto all exchanged incredulous looks. How in the world was their genius mentor such an idiot?

"Because we thought you were dead, Bastard!" Iruka screeched, shoving hard against Kakashi's chest. Kakashi's uncovered eye widened in disbelief, and he shook his head.

"No… I knew I could take them, and I could sense the back-up team we had sent for." Kakashi glanced around at his team, and took in their tear stained faces and red eyes. "I had to get Naruto and Sakura out of there, I had to get you all out of there." He whispered desperately. "I couldn't lose my family. You were all struggling, I had no choice."

"Baka. Stupid stupid stupid." Five pairs of arms surrounded him and they all tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs. "Don't you ever send us away like that again, idiot!" Sakura cried from somewhere to his left. It was impossible to tell who was who.

* * *

No one really spoke of that time Hatake Kakashi, the most fearsome ANBU in the history of Konoha, had been carried back into the village half dead by two agents that weren't his team. No one who had seen his four desolate subordinates early that same day ever mentioned it. At least not to them.

But a picture made its way around their circle of friends, and the copy that Naruto had somehow gotten his hands on had a place of honor on the mantle. No one ever really figured out how Tsunade had managed to take the picture, but they cherished it none the less. Iruka smiled as he looked at it.

Six figures curled up under one blanket, a tangle of limbs sleepy smiles. In the picture, Iruka's head was settled snugly against Kakashi's shoulder and Kakashi's good arms was wrapped around him loosely. The copy nin was clearly asleep, mouth hanging open, and head turned away from Iruka. Sasuke and Naruto were to Kakashi's other side, curled protectively around each other and Naruto's head was laying on Kakashi's upper arm. Sai and Sakura were to Iruka's other side, Sakura loosely holding on to her former Sensei's hand and Sai holding tightly to her waist.

They had all woken up the next morning with aches and pains all over from sleeping on the hard living room floor, but none of them could really remember a time they had slept better. All was well with their family, their patriarch safe and sound.

* * *

Ja ne?

Um… I'm not really sure what happened with this. Sometimes my muse takes a mind of her own and runs away from me… Heh…

Ne, Harvestangel, I know it isn't exactly what you asked for, but I tried to make it fluffy at the end… Me and Fluff are having a really huge disagreement right now and no matter how hard I try to make it comply it just won't! I hope you like this anyway! I think I rewrote it five times. If this isn't what you wanted I'll write you a new one, I promise!


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